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However, a humidifier can be used in any area of the home that is dry or where a person spends a lot of time, such as your office or living room. If your child suffers from allergies, asthma, or other conditions related to dry air, a humidifier is a safe and effective way to keep symptoms at bay. Nejat says humidifiers are great for anyone who suffers from dry skin, cracked lips, dry nasal passages, a dry or sore throat, and/or bloody nose.
How we choose the best whole house humidifiers
If you use a humidifier, check the humidity levels in the room where it is used and keep your humidifier clean. If you have allergies or asthma, talk to your health care provider before using a humidifier. For larger, tightly constructed homes, we recommend this fan-powered model from AprilAire. It has a coverage area of up to 5,300 square feet on homes with tight construction, and it can handle up to 18 gallons of water per day, which is larger than many other options. It includes a manual control rather than an automatic one, so you’ll need to keep an eye on humidity levels and adjust them accordingly. It also only has one knob for adjusting humidity, so this is a no-frills pick.
Other Humidifiers We Tested
This process was repeated on both the low setting and high setting for each model. The vapor cloud was unnoticeable on the low setting, and while we could see it on the higher settings, we didn’t see any mist settling on the surrounding surfaces. The mist cap rotates 360 degrees to adjust the direction of the mist, a feature we didn’t see on every device. The lights on the unit weren’t distracting, and there is a night mode to dim all the lights if you’re a light sleeper. However, we wish the light came with additional color options instead of just one.
AIRCARE Digital Whole-House Pedestal-Style Evaporative Humidifier
There are two easy-to-manage 2-gallon tanks, giving 24 hours of runtime at the highest fan setting. Automatic sensors adjust humidity to the chosen level, so it might run longer. At a high capacity of 7.2 gallons daily, this humidifier covers an area of 2,300 square feet and possesses a three-speed motor.
What type of humidifier do you need?
We found that the humidifier only requires seasonal maintenance, requiring a filter change once per year. If you have hard water, you may need to replace the water panel evaporator about once a year and remove mineral buildup. It’s a good idea to check the drain hose in case of any buildup or scale that creates a blockage. There’s another element to coverage that needs to be considered, and it relates to the type of whole-house humidifier chosen.
Q. What is the recommended indoor humidity level?
However, we were happily surprised to discover that it works well, especially if you're looking for a small humidifier to put on your desk or nightstand. There are extra filters included, and the cleaning process only took us a few minutes. Be sure to check your whole-house humidifier periodically to make sure that it is working properly. Small issues can become big problems if water is not draining properly or if the system is having electrical malfunctions.
Our pick: Levoit LV600S Smart Hybrid Ultrasonic Humidifier
If you’re looking for a humidifier with a warm mist setting, we recommend the Dreo Humidifier 713S. This ultrasonic pick can switch between cool and warm mists up to 133°F at the touch of a button. We appreciated that the display changed color to indicate which mode it was operating on, which makes it easy to view at a glance. The warm mist created a cozy atmosphere, but it wasn’t extremely hot to the touch. We had to place our hand fairly close to the mist to feel the warmth. The Vornado EVDC300 Energy Smart Evaporative Humidifier is the most energy-efficient humidifier we’ve ever tested, thanks to its unusual DC motor.
Best for a small humidifier: Crane Personal Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. The mini humidifier proved useful for occasional needs throughout our long-term testing, like unexpected nosebleeds or colds. We liked that the device was just powerful enough for one person, especially for use in an office or with a partner who doesn’t want the extra humidity. When we weren’t using the device, we were able to stash it in our nightstand drawer, another perk that comes with the small size.
But it’s usually around $30 per bottle, so that still adds up to an extra $100 per year—even more than the cost of replacement wicks on a standard evaporative humidifier. Even so, we think this additional upcharge could be worth it for the relief it brings from the unrelenting albatross of having to scrub your humidifier every few days. The Vornado UH200 Ultrasonic Humidifier feels (and sounds) like an evaporative one, and it’s particularly great for larger spaces. It offers the same steady humidification as our other Vornado pick, along with a larger tank and warm-mist capabilities, and it has one of the best warranties we’ve seen. Though the sound was too quiet to accurately measure, some people might still notice a slight whirring around 200 Hz, especially if you live somewhere that’s already pretty tranquil. Those with more-sensitive hearing might also find it more irritating.
The VeSync app (named for the parent company of Levoit) is designed to work with several other brands, such as Etekcity and Cosori, and it also serves as an online store and a customer service hub. While the company has somewhat simplified its sprawling privacy practices, it can still be difficult to parse, let alone verify, exactly what the app will track and collect. While this shouldn’t be an issue if you’re buying a new humidifier, it can complicate things if you’re traveling with it or looking to sell or buy a used one. A simple, straightforward humidifier with smart-home capabilities and a built-in night-light, the Dreo HM311S is also one of the rare ultrasonics that won’t over-humidify your room. The best humidifier releases gradual, consistent moisture throughout a room, making you feel healthier and more comfortable.
If you’d prefer, you can have the humidifier run the fan automatically to maintain a certain level of humidity. While testing the Aircare Whole-House Pedestal-Style Evaporative Humidifier, we found it easy to set up and monitor, thanks to a digital display. We also liked its attractive, compact housing that can double as a side table or plant pedestal—it’s not an eyesore. Since it’s a console humidifier, it’s evaporative in nature, meaning it uses a fan to pull water from a tank into the air and circulate it around a room. This type of humidifier is powerful enough to circulate moisture through a single-level home or apartment and has a straightforward design, which we love. We aren’t too strict on selecting a type of humidifier—evaporative or ultrasonic, cool mist or warm mist—having found they all have their perks, and they all have their flaws.
This particular model is equipped with two auto-adjust sensors for outdoor temperature and indoor humidity levels to keep your home comfortable. We found excellent whole-house humidifier options in both freestanding and furnace-mounted styles. With quality in mind, we chose products made by reputable brands that we’ve come to trust, like Honeywell and Aircare, and we prioritized models that are easy to operate, clean, and maintain.
The best humidifiers in 2024 - Popular Science
The best humidifiers in 2024.
Posted: Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Similarly, we don’t have much of a preference for digital or analog controls, as long as you can easily figure out how to make it do its basic tasks. Smart-home features are a nice bonus as well; they won’t make or break our decision, but they can aid in accessibility or just help avoid over-humidifying the room. Coverage of 2,400 square feet makes it ideal for apartments, small homes, or guest accommodations. While not designed to be portable, it weighs only 25 pounds so it’s not difficult to move. Although the 3.5-gallon tank is modest, the high efficiency and a choice of nine fan speeds means this Aircare can provide humidity for up to 60 hours.
We also appreciate that it can run for up to 60 hours and features three fan speeds to adjust how much humidity you need as well as an intuitive digital display. Think about where you want to use your humidifier and what benefits you’re hoping to get from it. Room size is important, as it will tell you how effective a particular humidifier will be for a certain space. In our experience, a larger tank capacity corresponds to a larger surface area covered by the humidifier. We used the humidifier once a week for six months and every time we turned it on, it felt like going to the spa. The quiet operation continued to impress us throughout the long-term testing period, and we were impressed with the water to vapor ratio.
Compared to our external hygrometer, this device's internal reading was accurate. A full tank lasted us a couple of days, but this will depend on your home's humidity and the setting you choose. For such a tech-focused humidifier, we found it very easy and intuitive to operate. The humidifier is definitely clunkier than some others we tested, but we still found it to be relatively slim and attractive in person. It earned high scores for ease of setup, overall effectiveness, design, and value. We also appreciated that the water lasted multiple nights so we didn’t have to regularly refill the tank.
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